Coping
by BlondieBearsBaby
Summary: Mid season 6. Willow has been captured by a demon which is using the initiavtive caves as a prizon for the many Sunnydalinans he has hostage. Can Buffy save Willow without losing anyone? Where does contortionist fun come into the story line?


**Coping Set in Season 6 after "Older and Far Away." Before "As you were"**

Disclaimer: Joss Whedon is the keeper of the Buffy verse, im simply playing around with his exquisite characters and story lines.

It was a typical night in Sunnydale. The moon was gleaming down onto one of Sunnydale's many cemeteries and illuminating the hundreds of headstones which reached far into the distance. Well, maybe just a few hundred meters but it still was a lot of headstones. Buffy Summers was perched up on top of a large headstone with the loving message

"Henry Smith, Beloved grandfather, died peacefully in his sleep"

"That's just about the strangest message I have ever seen on a headstone in Sunnydale" exclaimed Buffy best friend, Willow Rosenberg who was leaning back on a headstone opposite Buffy, buried underneath a large pile of books and papers which began sliding off her lap. She pulled them all back into place with an impatient groan. "Usually headstones and crypts read stuff like "Unknown cause of death" "Missing in action" or they sometimes even go on about the injuries they had. Can you imagine how disturbing it would be for a child to go and visit a relatives grave and have messages like "Neck savagely wounded and snapped?" Willow said, who was clearly ready to go into a debate about it and write a letter to the new, sane mayor.

A mayor that didn't want to be a giant snake demon. Because Sunnydale only has a limited amount of schools and couldn't afford to lose another.

"Well, at least some people are still getting the dying part of their life right." Said Buffy absent mindedly as she tried to understand what Willows text book was talking about. Buffy had dropped out of college last year because she needed to manage Dawns life. Buffy had tried to go back to college this year but she found she was too far behind and was 'tested' but three nerds who are supposedly her "Arch Nemesesessis" Buffy decided she could be tutored by Willow sometimes, so as not to fall completely behind if she could ever continue college. Buffy slammed the SOCIAL ECCONIMICS book shut with a scream of frustration.  
  
"Will, this is pointless, I'm the slayer, I'll never have time for college. Why should I bother wasting my own precious sleep time to try and learn this stuff? I have no idea what this stupid book is talking about anyway." Buffy slumped. She climbed off the head stone and slide down over to where Willow was sitting and dropped her head on her shoulder.

"Well, ok Buffy, we will try another night. Yikes! Its already 11:30!" Willow yelped. "I need to go to class tomorrow" Willow perked up. "Were doing a test on social economics and I'm going to ace it because I ....uh," Willow quickly stopped talking when she saw Buffy glaring at her. Willow hurriedly put her things back into her knap-sack and stood up.

"Are you coming, Buffy? We can grab mocha's on the way home? "Willow began, "But that would give us cavities and we would need to brush our teeth several times and go to bed, but mocha's will keep us up all night and, mocha's not such a good idea now I think of it..." Willow trailed her babbling off.

"No, I'm going to patrol. I couldn't last night because of my double shift at work. Can you check in on Dawn please?" She handed Willow the front door key. "Put it under the doormat when you get in?" Buffy said as she began walking briskly into the mist, searching for something to kill, she felt it would elevate her mood a lot.

"Bu." Willow sighed and started to walk in the direction of Buffy's house.

She didn't have any stakes or any vampire slaying equipment and felt very uncomfortable. She and Tara had been working on a spell which would make simulated sunshine. It would be handy for any of the scooby's late at night, maybe even for Buffy in tight situations. But Tara had left and now Willow had started her cold turkey test. She told herself she wouldn't do sunshine ball unless she was in grave danger.

"Spike" Willow breathed. Spike was swaggering along, carrying a large brown bag which was probably full of blood and cigarettes.  
  
Willow began walking quickly towards Spike, closing the gap. Spike turned around and saw Willow coming toward him, with three vampires right behind her.

"Will, run!" Spike bellowed as he ran toward to vampires. Willow looked behind her and saw the approaching vampires. She screamed and catapulted past Spike as he kicked the first vampire into a tree, impaling it on a branch. Spike whirled around to meet the next vampire and knocked it over a headstone with a swift left hook.

"Spike! Stake!" Willow yelled as she threw a pointy type branch his way which lay on the ground.

Spike grabbed the stake and dusted the second vampire who was still trying to recover from his short unconsciousness after hitting the headstone. Spike turned around just in time to meet the fist of the last vampire with his face. Spike was knocked to the ground and the vampire advanced.

"Hey, aren't you Spike? Didn't you used to be evil? Oh that's right, your in love with a slayer, feeling CHIPper today?" The vampire taunted. Big mistake. Spike sprang up and grabbed the vampire around the throat.

"No, not feeling chipper today, maybe you can help?" Spikes voice had lowered an octave and he swiftly staked the vampire. Spike stood there panting, his lip was split and blood was slowly sliding down his chin. He brushed at it impatiently.

"Bloody Hell" Spike said. "Felt like a stroll did we? In a cemetery in the dead of night? Very nice scenery" Spike said sarcastically to Willow.

"No, I was going to Buffy's to check on Dawn." Willow said indignantly. "Where's Buffy?" Spike questioned. "She went patrolling and said she'd be late. Asked me to check on Dawn." Willow said. Spike hid a grin, knowing exactly why Buffy would be late. "Spike, can you take me to Buffy's, incase any more vamps want to jump me?" Willow asked.

"Uh, well I should go find Bu...but, uh, but I suppose so. Come on hurry now or you wont be able to get up in the morning." Spike strode off and it was all Willow could do to keep up with him. Where has a peroxide, neutered vampire have to go? Why does he care about my irregular sleeping pattern anyway? Willow wondered as they approached Buffy house.

They arrived at 1630 Revello Drive and Spike turned around.

"Well, here you go, safe as houses. Go check on Dawn and get an early night for school tomorrow, need to get the learning or um, knowledge into your big pink squishy brain" Spike babbled.

"Spike, its like midnight, I think an early night is out of the picture" Willow said. What is Spike ON today? Willow thought.

"Oh, right, well, don't want to miss anymore sleep time do you? Inside, hurry up." He said as he ushered Willow to the door.

"Uh, ok, bye" Willow said, now having a lot more to think about then tomorrow's test. Willow unlocked the door and shut it behind her, watching Spike turn on his heel and walked briskly off down the street towards his crypt. Very, very, weird. thought Willow as she climbed the stairs and stuck her head around Dawns door to find her snuggled up in her bed.

Willow pulled the covers up over Dawn more and kissed her forehead. Willow closed Dawns door and went into her room, seeing the things Tara left placed lovingly in a box, tears sprang to her eyes. She lay down and remembered how it was with Tara before she left. Willow didn't get much sleep and thought she may even have woken Dawn up sometime early in the morning with her semi silent sobbing, heavy breathing and frequent heaving which punctured the calm Sunnydale night. Willow had been breaking out in constant sweats since her cold turkey diet began. She was going to be a feverish mess in the morning, so much for acing the test...

Buffy knocked tentatively on Spikes door. There was no answer and so she pushed the door open and went in. She looked around and saw Spikes bed. She went over to it and sat on the side. She saw a black material poking out from under the bed. She reached down and pulled it out inquisitively. It was a pair of Buffy's underwear she was wearing the previous night when she went "patrolling" with Spike. Buffy hastily stuffed them in her pocket and lay down on the bed. She lay there for a few moments pondering Spike. She got up and walked over to Spikes television and trailed her fingers lightly over it and turned it on. A music video was on Britney Spear's "I'm a slave for you" Buffy listened to the words 'I'm a slave for you, I can not control it"  
  
She blanched and turned the television off. She turned around, determined to leave and jumped.

"How are we this fine night" Spike drawled. She could feel his eyes passing over every inch of her body.

"Oh, just, you know looking for some action" Her eye's widened as she realized what it would sound like to Spike. "Vampire action, slaying them, in the uh, general sense" Buffy nodded and pretended to search the crypt briefly gazing at the cleanliness of the crypt, since she and Spike had wrecked it only last night.

"Vampire action, in my crypt?" Spike said, sounding very amused. "I can arrange some of that, luv. I'm a vampire, in my crypt, we can make some action? Should we try for the bed again or not? Might need a new one if we actually hit our target." Spike said cheekily. Buffy went up to Spike and tried to pass him.

"I'm going home now anyway" Said Buffy.

"Isn't home where you spent most of your time? If it is, this is your home."

Buffy glared at Spike and tried to get past him but he grabbed her and held her close. He wanted her, and her wanted her to know it. Buffy looked down at the floor, not wanting Spike to see the effect his desire had on her. Spike ran his hands lightly over her body, making Buffy extremely red as she felt a blanket of erotic tension fan upwards from her pelvic region.

"Spike, I ... Dawn.. is"

"With Willow love, I escorted Willow back to your house personally" Spike said, continuing his exploration of Buffy's body with his finger tips. Buffy considered going home once more, but as Spike's hands arrived at her upper thighs, Spike made small circles on her flesh which only increased her wish to stay all night with Spike. She grabbed him and they embraced in a passionate kiss. They floundered over to the bed, half their bodies fell on the bed and half onto the floor so they slide down to the floor for yet another passionate encounter. Just as well for the bed Buffy thought as she and Spike slid into darkness.

Dawn woke up with a start, she looked over at her clock, 4:15am. She groaned and turned over but heard a squeaky heave. She instantly didn't feel like sleeping anymore, she knew it was Willow in the next room, sobbing over her many heart aces. Dawn silently threw back the covers, got up and padded softly out of her room and to Willow's door which was open a crack. Dawn listened and heard again the Wicca's heartbroken sob. Dawn quietly went down stairs and into the kitchen. She put the kettle on and searched in the food cupboards.

"Chamomile, chamomile do we even have chamomile?" Dawn whispered to herself. She finished fixing the tea and began up the stairs. She stopped midway up and placed the tea on the stairs and went back into the kitchen, fetching the sleeping pills which Buffy often used when she came back from patrolling. Dawn took the pills and tea upstairs and knocked on Willow's door.

Dawn heard rustling and sniffling.

"Come in" Willow said hollowly.

"I brought you some tea, and some pills to help you sleep" Dawn said softly as she placed the items on the bedside table. She sat down on Willow's bed next to her and Willow began sobbing and fell onto Dawns shoulder. Dawn did her best to console the broken witch. Willow had drunk the tea and taken the pills and Dawn spent an hour or so just sitting with Willow, until finally she fell asleep at about 6:30am. Dawn decided not to have a shower but just a quick wash with a flannel so she wouldn't wake up Willow. At 8:45am Dawn grabbed her school stuff, checked one more time on Willow, finding her blotchy, but sleeping peacefully. Dawn put a note on the fridge for Buffy, wherever she was, explaining about Willow and walked out of the house to school.

Buffy woke up and found herself beside Spikes television chair with only a sheet covering her, which, she remembered had not been there when she fell asleep. She also had a pillow, she hadn't had one of those either. It was the loving care Spike gave to her that made her feel even worse about her hollow relationship with him. He genuinely loved her, he would give his life for me Buffy thought. Speaking of Spike, where was he? Buffy sat up fully, clenching the sheet to her body, glancing over Spikes crypt. She saw him sprawled over his television chair. Now she remembered. She and Spike had both fallen asleep, Buffy in Spikes arms on that chair. I must have fallen off but been far to exhausted to even notice. She thought.

Buffy got up and pulled her shirt of Spikes television antenna. She went around gathering up the rest of her clothes which had been thrown half hazard around the crypt. She took one last look at Spike and tried to sneak out of Spikes crypt. But Spikes squeaky door hinges didn't fail and made the loudest noise possible which woke Spike up. Buffy threw him a sheet which he slowly wrapped around himself.

"Leaving so soon? Enough action? Did I tire you out, luv?" Spike said, his eyes covering every inch of Buffy's now quivering body.

She despised the effect he had on her. He got up and swaggered over, all sexy and bad.

"Feeling energetic yet? Can I help run down your batteries?" Spike said.

"I'm leaving, I need to get home, and you aren't stopping me" Buffy said as she noticed the glint in his eyes. He stepped toward her, obviously about to overpower her with his desire. No Buffy thought But Dawn is at school and so is Willow, she'll be at class, no one is expecting me, maybe Buffy stepped toward Spike, about to stay for several more hours when her conscience kicked it. NO, leaving, not keeping this charade up. This never happens again.

Spike advanced and caressed the golden tendrils of her hair. Buffy backed away into the sunlight which was streaming in through the open door and gave him a defiant look. Spike, without thinking put a hand up to touch Buffy's face, and smartly began smoking. He jumped back and said to Buffy contemptuously

"Come again when your feeling less alive, less human, I'll be waiting" Buffy began to walk outside. "You'll be here in under 24 hours." Spike shouted after Buffy before turning to his devastated crypt, and began cleaning yet again.

Buffy opened her front door and went in. She went to the fridge and got out a large bottle of orange juice. She poured a glass and noticed a note from Dawn on the fridge. She pulled it off the fridge, ignoring the "Sunnydale water supply" magnet which had fallen onto the floor.

"Buffy, I'm at school and willow is upstairs, she was crying last night so I gave her tea and sleeping pills so she is asleep still, where were you? I couldn't have toast this morning since "someone" didn't bring any bread home! Dawn"

Buffy crumpled up the note and threw it in the rubbish. She would get bread later. She needed to get some sleep to get up for work. She went upstairs and looked into Willow's bedroom to find her best friend sitting with her legs pulled up to her chest, staring at the box of Tara's clothes which had been placed at the end of the bed. Buffy opened the door and Willow looked up.

"Hey Buffy, where were you last night?" Willow questioned.

"I, uh, was, I was... knocked unconscious at about 2 am." Buffy said, as her alibi formed. "I was chasing a vampire and, uh, tripped over and hit my head on a huge rock. See?" Buffy pointed at the long scratch on the right side of her forehead. Which was actually made by Spike, but obviously looked convincing enough as Willow leapt up and went into her bathroom. She returned seconds later with band aids and antiseptic cream. She made Buffy sit down on her bed and Buffy cleaned up the scratch/rock wound.

"Thanks." Buffy paused, "Are you ok Willow? Dawn said...last night, how are you doing?" Buffy said cautiously.

"I, I'm just" Willow made a helpless gesture with her hands and shrugged her shoulders. "I'm ok when I have things to do, sort of, only just." Willow said. Buffy pulled Willow toward her and hugged her tight.

"It will get better Willow, it will." Buffy told the back of Willow's head.

"I know, I am better than when she first, and I..." Willow gave a weak smile.  
  
"I'm ok, really" Willow's eyes widened and she leapt up and grabbed her bag as she quickly explained. "Class! The test, it starts in fifteen minuets! The test that I have studied for really...Um never mind." Willow rushed down stairs and yelled a quick goodbye to Buffy as she pounded down the street. Buffy sighed and went into her room; she set her alarm for 6:30 pm. She finally fell asleep just before Dawn came home and went into her room.  
  
"I can't believe you want to do that! I have to have them come or else it would be rude! You're inviting your crusty old parents! D'Hoffren and Halfrek are like my family!" Anya protested.

"We have demons coming out of our ears already! We are going to have to get a bigger venue if you don't stop thinking of people... uh, I mean demons!" Xander said exasperatedly. "I have to invite my parents anyway; they are paying for the ceremony! They need to see product of their hard work!"

"Oh yes, hard work, they are putting up at the decorations, cooking the food and they even built the building. Sure, if your parents were any less helpful for anything other than giving money then they wouldn't be much more that alcohol soaked vegetables, I'd put my foot down!" Anya raved as she tried to, for the hundredth time to arrange the seating plan for the reception. "Well, we do need more money to buy me the beautiful diamond embroidered dress and matching veil" Anya nodded as if this was the only way she was accepting Xander's parents appearance at their wedding.

Xander pressed his lips into a thin line and clapped his hands together once.

"Anya, parents coming, D'Hoffren and Halfrek are coming too, ok?" Xander attempted to come to an agreement with his stubborn bride to be. Anya made a pouted face.

"Fine" she said frostily as she went over to the cash register and opened the money draw, hoping the green, powerfulness of the money would lift her mood. She grinned as she counted many green notes. "Ok I'm fine now" Anya said and went up to Xander and they shared a brief make up kiss. A young smitten couple came into the Magic Box and began browsing the love spell section.

"Ohhh, oblivious young people in love, my favorite type of customer, except for real deal witches and warlocks, who always want pricy items. Yay, I'll give these people a list of very expensive things that will guarantee their happiness together forever. I might even be able to get more cash by reading their palms. Its very sad when you think about it, Yay" Anya clapped vigorously and strode confidently over to the unlucky young couple. Xander sighed and smiled at the absurd antics of his girlfriend.

Willow handed in her test to the supervisor and walked out of the lecture hall, hoping with all her might that she hadn't ruined her chances of passing the test with her horrible time the night before. Willow looked at her watch, it was 2:47pm, it had taken her an hour and a half to finish the essay part of the test! She sighed and began walking across UCSD campus towards Buffy's house. She saw Tara coming out of one of her classes and tried to avoid Tara seeing her, but it was no use. It was as if Willow and Tara had radar which could sense the other from 200 meters away. Tara waved weakly, not sure what Willow's reaction would be. Willow waved back and Tara walked over. There was an uncomfortable silence, Tara gave a flash of her signature half smile and tucked her hair behind her ears.

Both Willow and Tara began talking at the same time with greetings relative to how are you? Or how's everything? Both women laughed nervously and tried to answer each others questions.

"This is comfortable" Willow observed.

"I think we are handling it well, give the circumstances." Tara grinned.

"Credit to us" Willow laughed along with Tara.

"We uh, should get some medals or monetary compensation, or something." Tara chortled nervously.

"Yeah" Willow said "Money is good, can I have some too?"

"Of course sweetie, uh, Willow," Tara corrected herself.

"Ah, how is Dawn and Buffy?" Tara questioned, giving the two of them some relief from the uneasy subject of "us".

"Oh, they're good, Buffy's out a lot, patrolling and working, but its mostly good. Dawn is doing ok at school and is good, and I'm, I'm, ok, fine, good, I mean, not great good but ok. Uh yeah Buffy and Dawn are, they're fine..." Willow babbled, becoming more flushed by the minuet.

"Oh, that's good, Buffy has got a lot to deal with, listen I have to get to class, so um, I'll see you sometime soon?" Tara said.

"Oh yeah, ok I have to be in class too, so, Bye" Willow said regretfully. Tara smiled apologetically and started back over the campus. Willow turned and started to walk back to Buffy's but decided to see if Xander and Anya were in the Magic Box.  
  
Dawn open the door and stepped silently inside. She closed the door and went into the kitchen to fix herself a sandwich. Dawn was just getting a plate as she looked up and saw a huge demon standing right outside the kitchen window. Dawn shrieked and dropped the plate, it smashed on the kitchen floor, queuing a crash from upstairs as Buffy fell out of bed. Dawn got to the bottom of the stairs just as Buffy hurled herself down them, the two slammed into one another and fell in a heap against the front door.

"Hey, Buffy" Dawn winced as she looked up at her sister.

"Dawn, what is it? What's wrong?" Buffy questioned furiously, clearly annoyed by the sudden interruption of sleep.

"Oh right, it was a demon. Outside! I was getting a sandwich and it was there!" Dawn said frantically as Buffy got up and walked cautiously into the kitchen, stepping over Dawn's broken plate. Buffy went out the kitchen door into the garden, scanning the area with her slayer senses.

"Dawn there's nothing there!" Buffy said exasperatedly. She began the walk up the steps and was suddenly pushed violently into the garden by nothing.

"Buffy!" Dawn screamed, running outside and crouching my her side, helping her up.

"Get inside the house!" Buffy ordered as she suddenly got thrown across the garden by the nothing.

Dawn jumped up and ran into the house, slamming the door behind her and locking it. She proceeded to run around to the front door and locked it too. Suddenly there was a bang on the door, a big, Buffy sized body bang. Dawn realized Buffy cant get in and ran to the back door and opened it just in time as Buffy was tossed through the door like a rag doll. Dawn shut and relocked the door and bent over Buffy, who had a large purple bruise on the left side of her face and several small cuts in various places around her body.

"Buffy? Are you ok?" Dawn asked quietly as her sister groaned as she sat up. Buffy gave Dawn a 'does it look like it' look.

"Oh, do you want me to call Willow?" Dawn said.

"No, she's in class, I'm fine." Buffy said as she stood up and walked into the lounge room. They waited until 6:00pm before the walked to the magic shop together, hoping to find something on an invisible demon.

'Ding duh ding' The Magic shop bell cheerily announced Willow's arrival. Willow walked past all the rare and powerful wiccan objects to the large round table in front of the cash registers bench.

"Will, aren't you meant to be in class?" Xander questioned when Willow flopped clumsily onto a chair.

"Yes, but I finished my essay for my test and decided to take the rest of the day off. I didn't have any official classes but I should be doing homework, but I'm tired." Willow replied.

"Oh, ok, do you know where Buffy is? I haven't seen her since yesterday, you were doing some college catch up stuff with her last night weren't you?" Xander asked.

"Yeah, we were, but she was too uneasy and couldn't concentrate, something weird is going on with her. She didn't go home with me, she went patrolling. I got jumped by three vampires on the way home" Willow saw Xander's face, "Oh, I was ok, Spike was there and got rid of them, you know he was really weird. He seemed to be hurrying me along so he could get somewhere. Maybe "Passions" was almost on." Willow said jokingly.

"Yeah, probably." Xander said. He got up and got his coat and put it on. "So Will, when are you going to get to work on that homework?" Xander questioned pointedly. He looked over at Anya and they exchanged a secret glance.

"Oh, maybe in a couple hours, I'll just hang with you guys until then." Willow said.

Anya grabbed Xander's shirt and dragged him in the training room. "We cant stay here, we have romantic plans! The dinner and the candles and the sex! We cant stay here just because Willow's all miserable!" Anya exclaimed. "Just tell her we are doing something tonight, she'll understand!" Anya said.

"Auhn, we cant leave her here alone, but romantic evening is becoming an issue." Xander whispered. They came back out of the training room and Xander began to look in a demon book, glancing at Willow every few seconds. Anya stood up and walked over and stood in front of Willow. Xander motioned silently for her to stop, but Anya continued.

"Hey, Willow, guess what, tonight..." Anya stopped mid sentence as Buffy and Dawn burst through the door.  
  
"Hey Buff, where's the fire?" Xander commented, hoping immensely that Buffy and Dawns story will not hold up his and Anya's evening.

"We've got a huge invisible demon chasing us." Dawn said as she watched Buffy lock and bolt the doors and slammed down the shutters on the window.

"It must have been so big. It practically threw me across my yard like I was a rag doll. It was really strong guys, and it was invisible." Buffy cocked her head and frowned. "I liked it better when I was invisible Buffy." She complained.

"What did it look like, I mean, uh, and what did it...feel like?" Willow said, clearly confused and at a loss at what to do about researching the invisible demon.

"It felt like it hurt a lot!" Buffy said sarcastically. "Are there a lot of demons who can become invisible?" Buffy asked, becoming more seriously.

"No, not many, it's a rare gift that few demon breeds get. Vengeance demons don't have the whole invisible thing, but we, ah, they are almost up to standard for invisibleness. We don't need it anyway, only horribly clumsy demons need invisibility because they cant sneak around." Anya rambled on.

"Vengeance Demons are right up there near demons who need invisibility cause there clumsy are they? There's an honor." Willow snapped cattily. Willow looked around at the surprised faces of her friends. "I mean, I, I'm sorry Anya, just, I ran into, at, um, I've had a bad day" Willow nodded as she started pulling busily at a ball of fluff on her jacket.

"Apology accepted, but don't ever do it again young lady." Anya smiled as she wagged an accusing finger at Willow. "Come on guys, we need to find out about the invisible demon thinger." Buffy pressed. "We would Buffy, but you know how good we are in research mode without...We suck. We couldn't find the diamond eating frost monster so how are we going to find this thing? But on the upside, we came to the conclusion that there was no such thing, and there wasn't, it was the nerd patrol, but we sort of only decided the frost monster wasn't real because we were sick and tired of looking for it!" Xander concluded gloomily.

"We don't even know where to start, how do you get info on something no one has ever seen?" Dawn said sensibly. "Spike might know something about it..." Willow said. Xander glared at Willow "I don't think Captain Peroxide will be any help with this" Xander said sneeringly.

"No," Buffy nodded. "Spike probably will know something, I'll go now an see what he knows." Buffy said.

"Yeah, that's a good idea Buff, go knock him around a bit." Xander said, his mood improving with the thought of Spike being beat up.

"Yep, I will," Buffy said, thinking Spike wouldn't mind her knocking him around, it all depended on how she knocked him around.

"I'll look after Dawn; I am going home now anyway." Willow said.

"Yeah, could you Will? Xander, Anya, you guys can leave now to, I don't think there is anymore you could do tonight." Buffy said.

"Yay! We can finally leave." Anya said, ever the wordsmith. Willow frowned slightly and looked over at Xander who grinned apologetically. There were just some things he couldn't control.

With a next to soundless click of the lock, the front door to Buffy's house opened and Willow and Dawn ambled in exhaustedly.

"Well, Dawnie, do you want to go to bed now? Its only 8:30pm, but you can if you want." Willow said as she walked into the dining room and placed her shoulder bag next to her laptop computer which was set up at the table.

"Um, no, I'll stay up and watch a bit of TV. I'll go to bed at like 9:30pm." Dawn said as she yawned widely and her knees buckled and she collapsed clumsily onto the couch.

"Oh, right, 9:30, it's a good time to try and stay up till, unless you're beat and collapsing on random items of furniture, but hey, that's not an issue for you" Willow explained mockingly. Dawn frowned and hauled herself up to a position that resembled standing.  
  
Willow held out a hand and led a tired Dawn up the stairs into her room. Dawn took her pajamas out of her closet and went into the bathroom to change. Willow went over to Dawns bed and flopped down on the corner, her legs strewn half-hazardly around the two corners of the bed. She sat there, recalling the encounter earlier today with Tara. They were so comfortable around each other before. Now they both twitched uneasily every time someone mentions the others name.

Willow remembered how her and Tara used to share everything with each other, how they were so close and trusting of one another. She had betrayed Tara's trust with the forgetting spell. Willow was about to sink into deep depression mode when Dawn wandered back into her bedroom and pulled back the covers and climbed in. Willow got up and covered Dawn up. She hugged Dawn goodnight. "Sleep tight Dawnie, good night." Willow said as she closed the door partially. "Mmmhhmm," Dawn mumbled as she drifted off to sleep. Willow gave a little, half smile and then her face instantly fell. Tara used to half smile, it was so charming. Willow walked into her room and got into bed, fully clothed and kicked her shoes off onto the floor, falling asleep almost instantly.

Squeak, Thump Buffy slammed the door to Spike's crypt, the moonlight streamed in, illuminating Spike's platinum hair brilliantly. He jumped up as Buffy stalked angrily over to him, looking very peeved off.

"Hey luv, what did I tell you? Less then 24 hours." Spike said audaciously. Buffy obviously was all business as she punched Spike across the room.

"I need information Spike, about a demon," Buffy said as she strode across the crypt and pulled Spike roughly off the floor.

"What does it look like?" Spike said, used of being used as a punching bag.

"Its, uh, invisible. I only fought it once and it kicked my ass," Buffy explained. "Since I couldn't see it, that's an unfair fight!" Buffy protested as Spike raised an inquisitive eyebrow.

"And I am supposed to what? Help you and your little scoobies out? Why would I do that without any incentive?" Spike said malevolently. Buffy brought her body close to Spikes, almost touching, and turned her face up, brushing his lips with hers.

"Please Spike, I need you..." Buffy said, resigning herself to the fact that she does needs Spike's full co-operation to fight the invisible demon. No matter what Spikes price was.

"Need me slayer? In more ways then one, ain't that right?" Spike said as he placed his hands on her hips. Buffy looked down at the floor, her cheeks flushing, knowing Spike was very much telling the truth. "I'll help you with your problem, if you help me with mine." Spike said suggestively. "

What's that supposed to m...?" Buffy stopped mid sentence, realizing Spikes intentions. "No, Spike, after we kill the demon." Buffy said determinately. Spike swept Buffy off her feet and placed her lovingly on his bed and began to kiss her, caressing her cheeks with his milky white hands. Buffy almost sunk underneath the swell of Spikes power over her. She got up, rather irritated, and gave Spike a stern look. "We need to check on Willow and Dawn, I don't know if it can get into my house." Buffy told Spike as she slapped his hand lightly as it crept tenderly over her waist and tucked into her jeans. Spike frowned and made a disgruntled sound but followed Buffy out into the cemetery and up the street.

Buffy and Spike entered her house at about 9:30pm, they unfortunately were sidetracked by an enticing alley, and Spikes insistence on stopping there for a little pre-work fun and games. Spike always seemed to find a reason for fun and games, pre-work, after-work, during-work even or simply because the tree's were green. Buffy motioned to Spike to be quiet as Dawn and Willow might be asleep. Buffy and Spike checked downstairs, but no one was awake so they both padded silently up the stair case. Buffy looked in Willow's room, finding the wicca not in her bed or her bathroom. Spike looked in on Dawn, smiled and covered her up more. Then they both went back outside onto the porch to talk.

"Dawn's fine, she's fast asleep," Spike said, with almost fatherly care. "Well Willow is gone, she isn't anywhere in the house." Buffy said. Spike bristled.  
  
"WILLOW LEFT DAWN ALONE?!! I am going to KILL her next time I see her." Spike bellowed, scaring a few birds from their perches in a tree across the street. "Shut up Spike, you'll wake Dawn," Buffy said, but touched by his affection for Dawn, she pulled him to her and they embraced in a tender hug. They pulled out of the embrace and sat down on the front porch, and began discussing the demon. Through the night they discussed politics, television, actors, prices of food these days and kitten poker. At about 4:30am Spike announced her should get back to his crypt as it would be daylight soon.

"Oh, ok," Buffy said and opened the door, but Spike followed her inside. Buffy allowed Spike to help her check on Dawn get into bed. He tucked Buffy under the covers, gave her a gentle kiss and rubbed her hand with his fingers. He smiled and walked out of Buffy's house, leaving Buffy feeling extremely guilty because of her hollow affections for him. She was always very unsettled by the tender moments between the two of them, she could ride him roughly into the ground until doomsday, but the affection, devotion and unwavering love Spike felt for her was overpowering. She fell asleep soon after Spike left; tucking the hand Spike had so caringly rubbed under her cheek...

Willow woke up, trying to get a grasp of where she was. It was obviously late morning as light was streaming into, here, wherever here was. It looked like it was an old initiative cave. Willow's eyes widened as she saw a large demon lying down on the opposite side of the cave. It seemed to be asleep, its several eye's were closed anyway. Willow looked down at the iron shackles which attached her hands and feet together, and then to the wall. Oh, great, Willow thought miserably. She looked around for a rock or something to try and break the shackles. There was nothing.

Willow thought for a fleeting instant that she could just make them disappear with the magicks. No, that's not allowed. Willows sub conscious argued. No one will ever find out! She argued to herself. This went on for several minuets. She finally decided that she wouldn't use magic unless the demon was going to kill her. Probably wont be long before I need the magic, She thought as the large demon woke up. It immediately disappeared. Willow shrieked and looked wildly around for any signs of it. She saw a large shadow appear on the exit of the cave. It must be leaving. Willow looked around for anything that could help her, she noticed about a dozen other people, all unconscious, she hoped, and chained to the walls.

Mr. Kennedy, the grocer from in town, the three boys who are always hanging around the Espresso Pump and some others she didn't recognize. She looked down and saw to her amazement, a key lying just a few inches away from her out stretched leg. She tried to stretch to get it but it was just inches to far. This might be my only chance to escape, I need to use magic to help me and the others. She concentrated and the key jumped into her hand. Willow grinned and started to unlock her shackles.

The large monster returned just as she shoved the key into the lock. It looked around at its hostages and snarled. It promptly walked over to someone Willow didn't know and bit their head clean off. Willow blanched with fear and disgust. If she hadn't been worrying about her own struggles with magic, she may have been able to save that young mans life... The creature returned to a large pile of leaves and grass on the opposite side of the cave and swiftly fell asleep.

Xander woke up beside his lovely bride to be Anya and smiled. Her rolled over to his side and rubbed his hand over her stomach. She stirred slightly and slowly opened her eyes. She smiled and slid over closer to Xander. They lay there for a few minuets, just enjoying each others company. Xander got out of bed and went over to the kitchen. He pulled out some pancake mix and proceeded to make pancakes. Anya walked out of the bedroom and saw Xander trying to light the stove. She ran over.

"Xander, you're going to burn down the house! You can't cook! Remember last time? Dripping soy sauce? Short circuits? New stove?"Anya said.

"But I, I could, maybe, you don't know. I wanted to make you breakfast."Xander finished dejectedly, clearly annoyed at his inability to cook, he threw himself down onto a chair and sighed. Anya walked over to him and sat down on his lap rubbing his shoulder in an encouraging way.

"I can teach you if you want?" Anya said. "We can start on pancakes." She finished brightly. Xander smiled and got up. Anya then proceeded to teach Xander to cook pancakes.  
  
"That was delicious, you make a good cook when you know what you're doing." Anya said as she finished the last of the golden brown pancakes which had been laid out in front of her.

"I do what I can, you know the secret to making pancakes is to have a sugary sweet assistant doing most of the work," Xander said as he leaned over and grabbed Anya's head between his hands, kissing her.

"I could teach you some more things, not in the kitchen room, we have other rooms thought, with fluffy beds, they need to be taught."Anya said as she crinkled her nose up foxily. Xander was in the process of sweeping Anya up and carrying her into the bedroom when the phone rang. Xander sighed and put Anya down on the Sofa and answered the phone.

"Hello?" Xander said.

"Xander, its me, I need you and Anya to come to the magic box now, we think the invisible demon has taken Willow. She wasn't home when we, uh, I got home from checking if Spike had news. She still isn't back..." Said a voice on the other end of the line.

"We'll be right over," Xander replied to Buffy as he slammed the phone down and charged into his room, yelling instructions at Anya to get some clothes on, and that he would explain in the car. A disgruntled Anya put on a floral patterned dress and peach coloured shoes. She waited for Xander; he rushed out of the bed room with black corduroy full length pants and a red collared shirt. They ran out to the car and drove to the Magic Box, Xander running 3 red lights in his haste to get to the Magic Box.

Xander burst through the Magic Box's door, dragging Anya behind him. He stared around at the bustle of activity which was occurring in front of him. Buffy was flitting in and out of the training room, grabbing crossbows, stakes, axes, and large daggers. Dawn was on the phone, telling someone very urgently about the demon and Willow situations.

"Guys? What are we doing? We need to go!" Xander said. Dawn slammed the phone down and sprang around the counter, her unbrushed hair flopping messily around her face.

"Tara said she'll be her in a few minuets, she's taking a taxi." Dawn explained as she tucked her hair behind her ears.

"OK, we'll wait for Tara then we'll go looking for this demon, or, go listening for this demon. I could go see Willy the snitch, he'll know something." Buffy's eyes widened. "Spike didn't know anything but we'll need his help with finding and fighting this demon. I can run over now, I swear I wont be more then a few minuets." Buffy said.

"Buff, we need to get Tara and find Willow!" Xander said, the anxiety making his voice crack.

"We can pick him up on the way for looking for the demon, we can search around his crypt first." Dawn said.

"Oh, good idea Dawn, except when you say 'we' you mean not you, don't you?" Buffy said. Dawn made to protest to Buffy's decision but was silenced with a glare from Buffy. "I don't need you hurt Dawn, Xander, Anya, can you look after Dawn please?" Buffy asked.

"Buffy, I have to come, Willow..." Xander insisted. "Anya, could you?" Anya was clearly not in favor of the idea but a few pleading glances from Xander and Buffy and she gave in.

"Fine, I'll look after little Dawnie, we can play all sort of board games in which I can take all her money." Anya said, jovially. Dawn gave a pointed look at Buffy.

"Anya, I'm sure Dawn was homework." Buffy said, trying to save her sister from an evening of board games. "Oh, good I can sit there and instruct her to do it." Anya said, never losing the happy note in her voice. Dawn flicked her hair and sat, defeated, on a chair and flipped through a magic book.

'Meyer invery livre incinderay' Dawn whispered. The book she was holding caught on fire. Dawn leap up screaming. Buffy, Xander and Anya ran over. The flames licked at the other books, catching three more on fire. Buffy was running over to the fire extinguisher. All of a sudden, a blue burst of light doused the flames. Everyone looked around to see Tara standing in the doorway.

"Did I miss something?" Tara said, almost amused.

"I was just reading that," she pointed to the partially burned book on the table. "book, I was only whispering.

"You cant even whisper those incantations anywhere." She said a few undistinguishable word and the four damaged books were restored to their formed, un-charred state.

"We need to go," Xander pressed urgently.

"Yes, let's go." Buffy said as she swiped the weapon bag off the table and marched out of the Magic Box, giving Anya a quick nod, throwing Anya the keys to her house. Xander and Tara followed, carrying a large spell book.

"Well Dawnie, what do you want to do?" Anya said.

"I want to go home to bed, I'm tired," Dawn said sullenly.

"I'll take you home but you cant go to bed, you need to keep me company." Anya said.

"But I have school tomorrow!" Dawn said.

"I don't care, you are staying up! We can eat lollies and chocolates and drink fizzer drinks to keep you awake." Said Anya sincerely.

"But I am tired and have to get up for school tomorrow!" Dawn said incredulously.

"I don't care now lets go." Anya said as she bustled Dawn out of the Magic Box door and into Sunnydale's main street, making a quick stop at the video store, grabbing about 10 movies she liked the covers of, including "The Chimp playing Hockey".

Buffy strode across the cemetery with Xander and Anya flanking her like guards. She kicked open Spike's door and he sat up, about to say something sexy, but stopped abruptly when he saw Xander and Tara walk in too.

"Here love, with your friends and all?" Spike said provocatively. Thankfully for Buffy, Xander and Tara were looking in Tara's spell book for revealing spells and other spells which might be useful and didn't notice. Buffy grabbed Spike around the throat and shoved him up against the wall. She explained to his the situation and they all went out into the night with Spike giving his full co-operation. They had looked all over Sunnydale for the invisible demon but found no traces of it.

"What about Willy the Snitch, he might know something," Xander said, becoming more and more testy as the time increased that they hadn't found Willow.

"I already went a saw Willy last night, he doesn't know anything." Spike said, surprising everyone, most of all Buffy. "After I talked with you at your house about the demon." Spike said. Buffy recalled the night before when Spike had put her to sleep.

"Oh, right." Xander said. "Captain Peroxide" he added, not wanting to be left out of the abusing of Spike loop.

"Um, Buffy, what about th-th-the in-initiative caves" Tara added, obviously worried about Willow. Buffy nodded.

"Yeah, let's check, we've looked pretty much everywhere else." Buffy said.

"I win, I win, again! You own me $100 dollars" Anya grinned, gathering up a handful of paper money notes and stuffing them under the playing board for safe keeping. Dawn's mouth hung open in disbelief, this was her third loss tonight. "This doesn't help further your account owed to the Magic Box and me. You have to give me real money to pay for all of the things you stole." Anya stated blatantly. Dawn ignored this and crawled over to the pile of movies Anya and Dawn had rented from the video store a few hours ago.

"Can we watch movies now? NOT then chimp playing hockeys, how many times can you see that movie anyway?" Dawn stated loudly before Anya could open her mouth to protest. Anya made a grumpy face and muttered something under her breath. "Can we watch "Sweet Home Alabama"? Dawn asked.

"With than Rice Witerfork lady?" Anya questioned seriously. Dawn made an 'oh, god, where have you been' face and picked up the cover and pointed.

"This," Dawn said as she pointed and tapped her finger on the face of a blonde lady, "Is Reece Witherspoon, not Rice Winterknife or whatever." Dawn explained exasperatedly. Anya's eyes widened.  
  
"Oh, the lady who plays the ludicrous pink blonde lady who goes through a series of mishap adventures at law school trying to get her two timing boyfriend back?" Anya said. "That rabbit costume she wore was very disturbing, I'm scarred for life." Anya shuddered at the thought of human sized bunnies. Dawn nodded, clearly not wanting to go into a debate about it, and Anya clapped vigorously and put "Sweet Home Alabama" into the VCR. They sat back up on the sofa and began watching the movie.

A flashlight beam illuminated the initiative caves dully, giving just enough light to see a meter out into smothering darkness.

"Well, there's a lot of cave to check, maybe we should split up." Buffy stated as she kicked a rock out of their path. She turned to her friends.

"No, not a good idea, split ups mean we all end up capture by the demon we are trying to find, no bad plan." Xander said stubbornly. "We only have one flashlight anyway." He finished, trying to give reasons for his fear. Spike raised a mocking eyebrow. Tara muttered an incantation under her breath and the cave was suddenly brightly illuminated by a small, floating ball of light. She grinned and looked at the others. Spike yelped, expecting to burst into flames. Tara grinned wider.

"Its not sunlight, it's electricity light." Tara leaned closer to the others and they all gazed into the ball of light to see sparks of electricity shooting off it in little bolts. "You don't want to touch it Xander, its..." Tara tried to warn Xander as he reached out and touched the glowing ball.

"OWWW" Xander yelled, shaking his hand and sucking on his newly zapped fingers.

"I'm not sure how many volts it is yet, but its quite a lot. Sorry" Tara said.

"It's fine, I should have known not to touch it anyway." Xander grinned goofily.

"OK, people, we can continue the tea party later, Willow's still here somewhere." Spike said pointedly.

"Tara, Xander, you guys go that way" Buffy pointed, "Spike and I will check over here. Tara, can you manage telepathy?" Buffy asked.

"Uh, no" Buffy's face skewed up, trying to think up another way to communicate with each other.

"Why did I throw away those army walkie talkies?" Xander said sarcastically.

"I can make a guiding spell though which can go to you and Spike and lead the two of you back to us." Tara said helpful.

"Oh, good. Uh, cant you do that to find Willow?" Buffy questioned.

"Well, i can but the demon will have a signal that we are there, and i think we can mabye get the jump on it, a invisible demon is harder to fight than a normal one." Tara replied.

"Well, be careful looking" Buffy said as she pulled Spike around and began walking down a tunnel.

"I wonder what type of demon can turn invisible." Tara said to Xander as the two of them began walking down a twisting turning tunnel.

"I just hope it has been hit by the nerds ray thing and will fade away in a few hours." Xander joked. Tara nodded and motioned for her little ball of electricity to follow them. They walked for several minuets in silence, jumping at every sound. Xander turned around and walked back wards in front of Tara.

"Well, Tara, can you do sun spells, because it could come in handy. I'm not so good with the slaying of vampires." Xander said.

"Yeah, I can, we'll be ..." Tara trailed off and pulled Xander toward her and they hid around a rock corner. They both peered out and saw, to their horror a small pile of corpses and a large line of chained people, Willow was chained up and seemed deep in thought as she was yanked up the line by the demon, now visible, as he grabbed another victim.

"Willow" Tara whimpered under her breath. Xander grabbed Tara's arm and they ran out of earshot of the demon. Tara concentrated and a small green light appeared.

"Go to Buffy and bring her to me" She told it quietly and then leaned against the wall watching it leave. "It'll have them here in 5 or ten minuets. Willow is about 10th in the line, how fast does it eat?" Tara whispered.

"How come we can see it?" Xander said. "Maybe it isn't the demon we're after, but it has Willow, that's enough." Xander said.

They chanced another peek around the corner and saw the demon, it was large, a bluey black colour, like a new bruise, it had huge black spiral horns on its head and all down its shoulder blades to its elbows. It had long thick claws on both hand and both feet. It sniffed, looked in their direction and with a zapping sound it became invisible.

"Run" Xander whispered, thinking the demon had seen them. They had ran for a few minuets when they stopped for a breather. They both trembled silently, listening to heavy footsteps stomp towards them. It came around the corner and Tara froze it with her magics.

"Buffy! Oh, god I'm so sorry, we were running from the demon and, I'm so sorry." Tara said as she unfroze Buffy and winced as Buffy flopped down hard on the floor. Spike belted around the corner with a huge grin on his face, Buffy also looked very flushed also. Tara put two and two together and gave Buffy a understanding, but cheeky look. Buffy pulled her top around a little and then got very serious.

"The demon is after you guys?" Buffy asked.

"We thought it saw us, so we ran, and Buffy, it only turns invisible if it thinks its in danger, or being watched." Tara explained. "You could probably sneak up on it from behind, and Willow is it's prisoner, and a bunch of other people, he's eating them whole, oh Buffy it was horrible." Tara finished.

"Willow was 10th in line before we ran" Xander said.

"How long since you ran?" Buffy demanded.

"5 minuets give or take another 5." Xander said apologetically.

"Lets go, lead the way Tara" Buffy said.

"Um, well, we weren't keeping a trail of bread Buff, we lost our way, in the whole, run for your life scenario." Xander said. Buffy glared and ran her hands through her hair.

"Its ok." Tara conjured up another green firefly thing, "Lead me to Willow"  
  
"Thank god, Tara, after it!" Buffy yelled as it zipped off. They rampaged madly after it, as Buffy was running she felt Spike's coat lightly bumping her side as they ran, she moved over a bit and looked over at Tara. Tara looked Buffy straight in they eyes and the two of them fell back a little to talk.

"Buffy, your fly is open!" Tara whispered, seeming quite amused. Buffy blanched and zipped the fly of her jeans.

"I , it was, and then...uh. Never mind." Buffy answered, clearly aware that Tara knew exactly why her fly had been open. They both quickened their pace to catch up with the guys, Buffy making a pointed effort not to run next to Spike.

Willow looked around at the three people left in front of her; she had watched many people she knew being eaten. She had been able to unlock her shackles but she accidentally kicked a rock across the room and it woke up the demon. She had been locked up again and the demon picked up the key. It had left a while ago and seemed to be chasing something. She had decided never to use magic again and she was sticking to that vow.

"Willow," Willow looked up at the sound of her name and searched the cave for the source of the sound. Her eyes widened as she saw Buffy, Xander, Tara and Spike standing at the cave door, waving at her. She stared disbelievingly. But of course they would notice she was missing and of course they'd rescue her. Duh, best friends here Willow told herself. They ran over too her, she got hugs off everyone except Spike who gave her a warm smile. Buffy looked around for a large rock, she picked one of the many jagged rocks which littered the floor and was about to try and brake Willow's shackles.

"No, Buffy, key!" Willow squealed as Buffy halted her rock centimeters from Willow's leg. "Oh, right, key, where?" Buffy said, somewhat embarrassed.

"On the, uh, straw over there" Willow pointed. Buffy rushed over and grabbed the key, she returned and undid Willow's chains and went around undoing everyone else's. Everyone was free from their restraints and were huddled in a crown near the entrance.

"Good, we need to get these people out of here." Buffy stated. They all turned and began out the door when a huge arm knocked everyone to the ground like bowling pins. Daddy was home.  
  
"Now, that is something I don't understand. She shouldn't marry him, she should marry her original partner." Anya said, aghast. Dawn smirked.

"Well that's the way the writer decided to end it. But your sort of right, these types of movies are so predictable, they always end the same." Dawn said, agreeing vaguely with Anya's theorem.

"Yes, predictable like you used to be, with the mad thieving! The signs were all there now I think of it, you were always jump when people talked to you like you'd only just got away with something naughty." Anya said brusquely. Dawn looked over at Anya and wondered for the millionth time in her adolescent life, what Xander saw in her.

"I'm going to bed," Dawn said as she slowly and gracefully rose up and began towards the stairs. Anya sprang up hastily and ran over to the bottom of the stairs, blocking Dawns path with her arms which she spread wide over the opening. Dawn stopped, she stuck her hip out to one side, putting her full weight on her right leg and crossed her arms, a look of exasperation creeping over her face.

"Anya, it's 10:30pm!!!" Dawn protested.

"I don't care, you need to stay up until Buffy and the other's get home, what if that demon comes! I'll be all alone!" Anya said, grabbing Dawn's arm and manhandling her back into the living room.

"Oww, let GO of me!" Dawn yelled as she wrenched her arm out of Anya's grasp. "What use am I if the demon comes? I could shriek at it to death, that's about it." Dawn said, the sarcasm evident in her riled voice.

"I can change that, I can teach you a demon Karate technique!" Anya said enthusiastically, she tried to give examples. She leapt around the room in a zigzag pattern. "This is a defense technique." She panted. She began a complicated series of kicks, jumps and punches which left her gasping for breath, having fallen onto the ground after not landing a jump kick properly. Dawn's look of amusement was increasing. "Ok, so I cant do it, but we could have fun with it!" Anya said, trying to convince the skeptical Dawn to stay and play fight with her.

"Ok, I bet you I'm better at it!" Dawn said as they stood in a line, Dawn behind Anya, ready to copy Anya's increasingly ridiculous "karate moves".

"Xander, sword!" Buffy bellowed over the terrified screams and roars of the now visible invisible demon. Xander launched the long broad sword into the air over the heads of a group of about 15 screaming Sunnydalians. Buffy swiftly grabbed the sword and turn on a pin head to meet the demons large claws which, had she been any slower, would have disemboweled her from chest down. She pushed the demon away with the sword, she moved toward it, ducking and weaving under and over the many attempts the demon made to decapitate her. She threw a few bone crushing punches and catapulted it across the room with a rapid back kick.

The demon got up and Buffy advanced across the cave toward it. She was about the hit it again with yet another devastating punch, but it was to quick this time, it whisked her across the room with its claws, slashing her side viciously. Willow ran, skirting around the demons slashing range toward Buffy as Xander and Spike jumped into the fray. Willow crouched over Buffy, taking off her coat and pressing it against the three deep Slash wounds which stretched from the top of her right shoulder, over her arm and down to the elbow.

"Buffy, are you ok?" Willow said, the concern showing in her face. Buffy winced and sat up, looking over to the battle.

"I'm fine, go help... never mind." Buffy said as she saw Tara freeze the demon momentarily and Spike delivered the fatal slash to the demons throat with a large sickle. He jumped around a little bit, filled with adrenaline, offering Xander a hand off the floor, where he had been throw by the demon.

"Thanks, Tara, that freeze time thing is helpful." Xander said as he placed a hand on Tara's shoulder.

"It's not all that, I, I do what I can," Tara said modestly. Xander smiled, they noticed Buffy's condition, they both ran over. Spike was already crouched fondly over her.

"Buffy are you ok?" Xander demanded. Tara crouched down beside Willow, giving her a "are you ok" look. Willow nodded and smiled.

"We need to get her bandaged up, this wound it pretty deep," Spike said.

"I'm fine I can walk by myself." Buffy protested as four hands were offered to her. She gasped and slumped back down, the wounds clearly incapacitating her.  
  
"Bollocks, oh get out of it soldier boy, you aren't nearly strong enough," Spike scolded as Xander tried to lift Buffy, which was only received with moans of pain from Buffy. Spike scooped Buffy up and held her carefully in his arms. "Grab that lot and lets get out of here." Spike directed to Willow as he strode over to the exit, making every effort to carry Buffy softly, so as not to make her wounds worse. Buffy and Spike caught each others eye and Spike smiled warmly at her. She purposely pretended to be weaker then she was and dropped her head onto Spike's shoulder. Willow, Xander, Tara and the crowd of trembling prisoners ambled over and they began to make their way out of the initiative caves.

"How the bloody hell do you get out of this sodding place?" Spike bellowed heatedly 15 minuets later as they passed a boulder which looked very familiar.

"Tara, are you strong enough to do that locator spell again? You could tell it to lead us to Anya and Dawn." Xander said. "I, I have already don it twice and it take a lot out, I, uh, could try." Tara said wearily, her eyes blinking slowly.

"No it's ok." Xander said. A thin man coughed slightly, obviously trying to catch the attention of the group.

"What's the problem, uh, sir" Willow said.

"Uh, my archeology team and I have been studying these caves and I know the way out from here." The man said tentatively.

"WELL WHY YOU DIDN'T TELL US THAT BEFORE YOU STUPID GIT!" Spike bellowed at him. The small man trembled in fear.

"Spike, calm down, at least we can get out now!" Willow said. Spike gritted his teeth and restrained himself from scaring the man to death with his vamp face. The man began walking hurriedly up a tunnel. After a few minuets they saw the outside.

"Thank god, we need to get Buffy back home." Willow said anxiously. She looked at Buffy who was resting in Spike's arms. The Sunnydalinans began running all helter-skelter all over the woods. Spike scoffed at them but was restrained from saying something snarky by a sharp look from both Willow and Tara.

"Bloody hell, women," Spike said under his breath. I can think of more things to say Spike thought, knowing Willow could hear him. Willow's voice yelled in his head. Spike grinned and they all began walking toward Buffy's house, all weary and ready to sleep for a few days.

Willow unlocked Buffy's front door and her, Xander, Tara, Spike and Buffy in Spikes arms came inside. They all stopped and listened to the shrieks of laughter coming from the living room. Buffy opened her eyes as they followed the sounds.

"No, no, like that, see you cant get up as far as me, HA!" Anya shrieked triumphantly between giggles. She and Dawn were sitting on cushions on the living room floor with their legs pulled up over their heads, and were trying to walk on their hands around a mini obstacle course that had been set up.

"Don't let our arrival stop the fun," Xander said. Dawn and Anya looked up, quickly resuming normal human figures. Dawn and Anya leap up and Anya threw her arms around Xander's neck.

"You're not dead!" Anya said joyously.

"It didn't look like you were fretting all night about it." Xander said as he referred to her and Dawns contortionist fun.

"Buffy, Willow is she ok? What happened?" Dawn asked fretfully.

"She got slashed by the invisible demon, which I helped kill!" Xander claimed proudly. Spike smirked.

"Yes, you were a very helpful unconscious man," Spike scoffed. "Tara saved us all, really. She's got some serious power brewing." Spike said.

"Go Tara, high five." Dawn said as she slapped Tara's hand joviently.

"I'll fix Buffy up, Will, where are the bandages?" Spike questioned as he carried Buffy up the stairs.

"In the bathroom cabinet." Willow replied. "Tara can you show him? I want to try out that contortionist thing." Willow grinned.  
  
"Sure," Tara said as she got up and followed Spike up the stairs. "I'll get the bandages, and a warm cloth, just a second." Tara said as she went into the bathroom and closed the door.

"Here you go, pet," Spike said softly as he placed Buffy carefully on her bed. He ripped the slashed shirt away from around Buffy's wound so is could be easily accessed when Tara returned. Buffy winced as Spike pulled out a small piece of demon claw out of her middle cut. Tara returned with a large warm cloth, a bottle of antiseptic liquid, a cream and white bandages.

"Here Spike, can you do it? My hands are all shaky, the magic..." Tara said. "Plus I want to see Xander try to put his legs behind his head," She flashed a cheeky smile at Buffy and left, closing the door.

"Can you, uh, take off, um, I can't get to this wound properly" Spike said croakily.

"Uh, yeah, right." Buffy sat up and peeled off her shirt and undid her bra and lay down on her stomach on the bed.

"This might sting a bit," Spike said croakily. He placed some antiseptic liquid on the cloth and wiped it lightly over the wounds.

"Spike, please, I'm the slayer I can take it, I don't want an infection." Buffy said. Spike pressed harder and Buffy whimpered. Spike cleaned the wound for a few minuets to ensure it was sterile and the lightly applied the cream onto the wounds. He placed large white band aids over the wounds and rapped her shoulder and arm with white bandages. Buffy put on a baggy red T-shirt and placed her hands on Spikes hips. She thanked him with a brief kiss and they went out of Buffy's room. Tara was waiting at the top of the stairs.

"Couldn't leave you two alone up there, too many questions for you!" Tara said kindly. Spike glared, but in an understanding, yet annoyed way. Buffy hugged Tara tightly.

"Thank you." Buffy said as she walked back down stairs.

"How are you now Buff? Better?" Xander asked, as he tried to untie himself from his legs behind head attempts.

"Here, Buffy, I got you some aspirin." Willow said kindly as she handed two white capsules and a glass of water to Buffy.

"Thanks Will, and I'm a little better now." Buffy smiled as she decended lightly onto the couch, placing the aspirin in her mouth and gulping down the water.

"Is the demon dead Buffy?" Dawn asked.

"Yes, you guys can go home now, I'll see you tomorrow." She said to Xander, Tara and Anya. They smiled and all three hugged Buffy and left.

"I'll put Dawn to bed, Buffy," Willow said to Buffy. She hugged her and escorted Dawn up the stairs into her room.

"Thanks for today Spike, I," Buffy said. Spike held up a hand and pulled Buffy to the kitchen door.

"It's ok pet, anything for you." Spike said. Buffy kissed him softly and opened the door.

"Bye Spike, good fight," Buffy said as she watched the darkness envelope him. Buffy trudged up the stairs and checked in on Dawn, Willow was covering her up and kissed her fore head.

"Night Dawnie." Willow said as she moved out of Dawn's room and into her own.

"Are you sure you're ok Buffy?" Dawn questioned.

"Yes, I'm fine. All is well, except for my nifty slash wounds." Buffy smiled and kissed her sister goodnight.

"Night Buffy," Dawn said as she drifted off to sleep. Buffy closed Dawn's door and went into Willow's.

"Are you ok now Willow?" Buffy asked.

"Yep, now I'm over my mortal danger thrill." Willow joked. Buffy hugged Willow tight, being careful not to hurt her wounds.

"I'm glad your ok." Buffy said to Willow as they let go of one another.

"I'm glad your ok too Buffy, you need a good night's sleep to help heal those cuts." Willow said, forever the selfless friend. Buffy smiled and left Willow to sleep.  
  
As Buffy crawled into bed she thought over the past day. She had saved her friends from mortal danger, had her daily sessions with Spike, which, she thought were less good. She had helped Willow overcome a little more grief and she had killed one of the many demons which loitered about during the dark hours of the day. Sure she got three brutal wounds, but she'd heal. Not bad, not a bad day at all She thought as she drifted off to sleep.  
  
THE END.


End file.
